Pharmaceutical giant Merck (NYSE: MRK) officially threw in the towel about his efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. The company said it was halting the development of two candidates, V590 and V591, after a review of the results of Phase 1 studies indicated that it was unlikely to provide adequate protection against the coronavirus. Instead, its COVID-19 research and production capabilities will focus on two therapeutic agents for the disease.
Merck hinted at a conference last month that the efficiency rates of Modern‘s mRNA vaccine and developed by collaboration partners Pfizer and BioNTech was better than he expected, and set a high standard for his efforts. As it turns out, V590 and V591 produce immune responses that are not only inferior to those produced by other vaccines, but also for those seen in patients who have recovered from COVID-19 infections.
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Merck is the second-largest vaccine seller in the world, but hesitated to develop one for COVID-19, which was months behind in the race. Eventually, it launched programs to develop candidate vaccine candidates based on proven technology, one using the virus vector Merck uses in its approved Ebola vaccine, and one from a company he acquired last year in the hope to get on the COVID several times. 19 purpose. Instead, Merck will earn a non-cash levy on the fourth quarter for the programs.
However, the pharmaceutical company is still hoping for two candidates for the treatment of COVID-19. MK-7110 is an anti-inflammatory drug that appears to reduce the risk of death or respiratory failure in moderately to severely ill COVID-19 patients by as much as 50%. Phase 3 trial results for this are expected in the first term. Molnupiravir (MK-4482) is an oral antiviral drug that is being evaluated in trials that are expected to be completed in May. If successful, that medicine can compete Gilead‘s brake desivir, which is skeptical about its effectiveness.